Despite the tropical name, the only citrus you’ll find in this potent sipper is a lemon twist garnish. You won’t miss it. In the Tradewinds’ international mix, a subtle blend of Chinese and Swiss bitters joins the herbal French liqueur Benedictine to balance out the inherent sweetness of rum and vermouth.

Created by Arthur BootheThe Courtesy, Orlando

Despite the tropical name, the only citrus you’ll find in this potent sipper is a lemon twist garnish. You won’t miss it. In the Tradewinds’ international mix, a subtle blend of Chinese and Swiss bitters joins the herbal French liqueur Benedictine to balance out the inherent sweetness of rum and vermouth.

If you’ve been to any decent cocktail bar in Central Florida, you’ve seen them: tiny bottles as intimidating and enticing as potions in an alchemist’s laboratory. In a way, that’s exactly what cocktail bitters are. Just a few drops of this fragrant herbal spirit are enough to transform a simple blend of liquors into a capital-C cocktail. The Manhattan, the Old Fashioned, the Sazerac — none are complete without the requisite dash or three. In the current craft cocktail revival, there’s a whole lot of shaking going on with those little bitters bottles, both figuratively and literally.What is bitters, exactly? The definition can be murky, but essentially the drink is what happens when alcohol is prepared with an array of aromatic herbs. In cocktail bitters brands such as Angostura and Peychaud’s, the result is fragrant, botanical and of course, bitter.Angostura bitters has come a long way since its origins as a medicinal tonic in the early 1800s. These days, it is arguably the default brand for many drink makers, though specialty bitters are an increasingly common sight, from Bittermens’ cacao-inflected Xocolatl Mole Bitters to the homemade blends frequently used at cocktail lounges like The Courtesy in downtown Orlando.The difference between them is striking, and the proof is right there in front of your nose. When sampling a bitters, Courtesy bartender Arthur Boothe cites the advice of cocktail legend Dale DeGroff, who pioneered the re-creation of classic cocktails: Smell, don’t taste. Rub a couple drops into your hands like an after-shave and hold them up to your nose. The namesake flavor is at the forefront of any batch of bitters, but a good whiff brings out the finer details: Notes of orange and gentian root in The Courtesy’s nettle bitters, or the signature cloves-and-spice profile of Peychaud’s. Just as with any gourmet meal, aroma is an important element in any quality cocktail. When it comes to that element, bitters is a workhorse ingredient.More than any spirit, bitters might just be the defining spirit of the craft cocktail movement. “It’s the salt and pepper of a cocktail,” says Boothe. “You use it to help blend things together,